Rain poured relentlessly as Lily hurried down the sidewalk, her school bag clutched tightly against her chest. Within minutes, her uniform was soaked, and strands of her curly hair stuck to her face.
Behind her, tires rolled slowly through the rain.
Jason's black SUV kept pace beside her.
He lowered the passenger-side window.
"Lily."
She didn't even glance at him.
"I said I'd take you home."
She kept walking.
"Lily."
She stopped so suddenly that Jason hit the brakes.
Turning to face him, she crossed her arms.
"What part of 'I'd rather walk' didn't you understand?"
Jason stepped out of the car, holding the umbrella over his head.
"You'll get sick."
"That's none of your business."
"It is when—"
"When what?" she snapped. "When you suddenly decide to pretend you're a decent person?"
Jason fell silent.
Lily laughed bitterly.
"You think saving me once erases everything you've done?"
The rain drummed against the umbrella between them.
"For three years, Jason."
Her voice shook—not with fear, but with anger.
"For three years, you've mocked me. You've laughed while other people laughed at me. You made school feel like a prison."
Jason lowered his eyes.
"I know."
"No, you don't."
She stepped closer.
"You don't know what it's like to cry yourself to sleep because you don't want to go to school the next morning."
He swallowed hard.
"You don't know what it's like to wonder what's so wrong with you that someone enjoys breaking your confidence every single day."
"Lily..."
"No."
Her eyes glistened, but no tears fell.
"You don't get to say my name like we're friends."
She took a slow breath.
"You saved my life."
Jason nodded.
"And I'm grateful for that."
For the first time, hope flickered across his face.
It disappeared with her next words.
"But gratitude isn't forgiveness."
She looked him straight in the eyes.
"I still despise you."
Every word landed like a punch.
"And until you understand what you took from me..."
"...don't follow me."
Without waiting for a reply, Lily turned and walked back into the rain.
Jason stood frozen.
The umbrella slipped slightly in his hand as he watched her disappear down the street.
For the first time in years, he realized there was no sarcastic comment, no clever joke, and no amount of popularity that could fix what he had broken.
---
Later that evening, Lily arrived home drenched.
Her mother gasped.
"Lily! You're soaked!"
"I'm okay, Mom."
Her mother hurried to fetch a towel, but she paused when she noticed the sadness in her daughter's eyes.
"Did something happen?"
Lily hesitated.
Then she quietly replied, "Jason Blake apologized without actually apologizing."
Her mother frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means he wants me to believe he's changed."
She looked out the rain-speckled window.
"But one good deed doesn't erase years of cruelty."
Upstairs, she stood by her bedroom window, watching the storm rage outside.
She whispered to herself, "I will never let him hurt me again."
Across town, Jason sat alone in his room, replaying Lily's words over and over.
I still despise you.
For the first time in his life, Jason Blake understood something that terrified him.
Some mistakes couldn't be undone with a single act of courage.
They had to be paid for.
And he had no idea where to begin.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments